 Dreamscape presents. Marvel's Avengers. Infinity. By James A. Moore. Married. By Deon Graham. Act one. First strike. Prelude. In the beginning, there was the universe. How it came to exist was a mystery that might never be solved. At least, not in its entirety. For the majority of the inhabitants, it was enough simply to accept its existence and the infinite number of parts that made up all that was known, and all that remained enigma. Unknown to most, however, a key influence in the development of the universe had crisscrossed the cosmos for unknown eons, shaping worlds, creating and eliminating life, controlling the structures of space and time in ways that seemed incomprehensible. The builders had always been there, ceding and molding entire civilizations in the name of the entity they knew as the mother. The sum of the universe. Personified. Even after they ceased to revere the mother, the different species that constituted the builders continued to impact the ebb and flow of the universe, operating in this reality, in all realities. They moved through the multiverse as a driving force, ageless, eternal, and unconcerned with the consequences. Until that changed. The vast elements of the multiverse warned the builders that all of their realities were in danger of failing, of collapsing, of dying. This could not be allowed. Chapter one. Self-repair. Most of the world did not see the objects as they approached. Only the most advanced cameras and telescopes caught sight of the seven projectiles as they streaked down from the heavens. High above Earth, the space station known as the Peak peered down toward the planet and outward into the cosmos. Acting as a base for the multinational sentient world observation and response department, its sole purpose was to address extraterrestrial threats to global security. Sword saw the beams, and immediately issued an alert. Too late. What are we dealing with? It's difficult to tell, sir, Nathaniel Byrd replied. When the President just glared up at him, the Secretary of Defense continued. Sample complete. Ready to continue?